Playing Dead: A Contemplation Concerning the Arctic

Fall 2003
Paperback, 160 pp
Non-Fiction | Native Studies

Playing Dead  is a book about boundaries, about changing how we think about the limits of northern history. It is about the role Aboriginal people have played in the development of the narrative of the nation, the fallacy of explorers’ heroism, and probing the metaphorical spaces between land and sea. Wiebe has journeyed through the Arctic, lived in the tiny settlements clinging to Northern coastlines, and moved through the unfathomable expanse of the North. In Playing Dead, he voices a new perspective on the land that many of us take for granted.

Playing Dead is the first book in NeWest Press’ exciting new series, Landmark Editions. Landmark Editions will be an important part of the Canadian literary landscape, as the series features early and previously-published works by established and recognized western Canadian authors. Books by some of Canada's finest writers will enjoy new lives as Landmark Editions, complete with redesigned covers and fresh features such as photos and content. In addition, each title will now include a relevant afterword. Canadian literature aficionados will be delighted to see classic texts rejuvenated and accessible to a whole new generation of readers. NeWest is proud to offer this series as a strong addition to the heritage of western Canadian literature.

“It is a pleasure to again experience NeWest Press’s dedication to Canadian writing with this enlarged edition of Playing Dead: A Contemplation Concerning the Arctic. I am honoured to have this book chosen as the first in NeWest’s Landmark Editions Series.”

- Rudy Wiebe, from the Landmark Edition of  Playing Dead